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NCAAB Picks

What's in Store for Kentucky in the 2014-15 Season?

The Kentucky Wildcats almost did the unthinkable as a #8 seed at the Big Dance as they had a title match with the equally gamed Connecticut Huskies and got the short end of the stick. Let’s take a look at what John Calipari has in store for the Kentucky faithful in the 2014-2015 NCAA Basketball Season.

“One and Done Crew”Nowadays,
college players don’t stay the full 4 years, look to play a season or two, and
showcase their talents for the public and NBA Scouts in order to accomplish
their ultimate goal and that’s to become pro
basketball players. If KU had guys that stayed the entire 4 years in
college, John Calipari would have a handful of NCAA Championships.

The first
thing to do when looking at the Wildcats for next season is to go to ESPN’s
list of the top 100 recruits in the country because this team will always be
laced with talented freshman, who are looking for 1 year in college and a pro
career. Let’s take a closer look

Ready-Made SquadWhile Duke
has dominated next year’s recruiting class, the Wildcats aren’t far behind with
4 -5 star recruits and all at different positions. The Wildcats have grabbed #6
Trey Lyles, #9 Karl Towns Jr., #18 Devin Booker, and #25 Tyler Ulis. Guess
what, folks; the Kentucky Wildcats have a decent opportunity at getting right
back to the championship game.

The future
odds for the NCAA 2014-2015 Champions aren’t currently available, but you can
bet that Kentucky will be near the top of the list.

Cauley-Stein ReturnsOne player
that will be back for next season will be 7 foot junior, Willie Cauley-Stein.
Cauley- Stein averaged 7 points and 6.2 rebounds in his sophomore season, but
missed the last 3 games of the NCAA Tournament due to an ankle injury.
Cauley-Stein has recently announced that he wants a chance at a national championship
and a degree. He’s in no hurry to leave the University of Kentucky.

Another
player that will return to the Wildcats squad is forward Marcus Lee. Although
Lee had 10 points and 8 rebounds in the Elite 8 matchup against Michigan, he
hasn’t nearly played long enough to be considered a potential pro. This is a
player that averaged 2.4 points and 1.4 rebounds in 6.3 minutes per game. The
Kentucky roster was so talented that Lee will get a better chance to display
his skills in the 2014-2015.

Then there’s
the question of the Harrison twins, who accounted for 24.6 points, 6.2
rebounds, 5.9 assists, and many big post-season 3-pointers. Their fate along
with Dakari Johnson are undecided, but John Calipari has already prepared for
any departures with a top-rate group of recruits.

Incoming Freshman

Trey LylesAt 6 foot
10, 255 pounds, Trey Lyles “will carry some weight’ as this is a skilled big
man that can shoot from anything inside 17 feet and can put the ball on the
floor and score against post players.

Karl Towns Jr.This New
Jersey native has massive potential as an outside shooter despite being near 7
foot tall. Is this a future Kevin Durant in the making? Only time will tell,
but Calipari sure knows how to find these gems.

Devin BookerCalipari
also has the guard position covered as Booker’s basketball I.Q. is 2nd
to none.

What To ExpectWillie
Cauley-Stein will be very motivated after watching from the sidelines how far
that his team went and the influx of talented freshman at several positions
will give any university a run for their money. Look for Kentucky to be a top
contender again after coming so close in 2013-2014 to winning the National
Championship.